


Three Times Max Was Told 'I Love You' (And One Where She Said It Back)

by vilnolin



Series: Three [2]
Category: Dark Angel
Genre: F/M, Multi, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-10-17
Updated: 2012-10-17
Packaged: 2017-11-28 23:56:03
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,470
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/680324
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vilnolin/pseuds/vilnolin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Three Times Max was Told 'I Love You' (and One Where She Said It Back). Sequel to three's mating</p>
            </blockquote>





	Three Times Max Was Told 'I Love You' (And One Where She Said It Back)

**Author's Note:**

> Warning: het sex, fem-slash, menage a troi  
> Disclaimer: I do not own Dark Angel. All original characters belong to me, all rights reserved and all lefts reversed  
> reformat/edit: 22.7.14

 

1

  
            Max wasn’t entirely sure what she signed up for. Like confronting Logan. The hidden cameras alone were creepy, but Max hadn’t asked how long they had been there. And she knew both Alec and Shilo knew—the two had debugged their home far too quickly that morning, and she had seen Alec flip the camera off as she had been drifting into sleep. As to how long the cameras had been placed, Alec only gave her a little shrug, saying, “We wanted to see how it played out.” Obviously, the pair had deduced Logan’s reasoning and even guessed at the outcome, especially considering the bet they had placed.  
            Logan was looking more and more like the real creeper, but it would figure he thought himself the  _hero_. “Tell me they coerced you! Drugged you!” Logan ignored Shilo’s outraged ‘puh’, “Tell me what I saw was a mistake.” He was dangerously close to touching her.  
            Max closed her eyes, taking a deep breath and really, just not wanting to deal with this. So when Alec started speaking, she was both relieved and surprised. “Firstly, I can assure you there were no drugs involved; not entirely safe when trying to start a family,” He apparently couldn’t help the glance towards Shilo, but he paused, and Max realized it was Logan he was watching carefully. “Secondly, I can’t say there wasn’t some sort of _coercion_. I mean, I  _am_  designed for it, and Maxie  _is_  a bit of a prude.” Max swatted at him, and he accepted it, flashing her a small smile before turning back to Logan. “You had something you wanted to say?”  
            Logan had his ‘holier-than-thou’ face on, and scoffed the moment he was given leave to speak. “You were honestly planning on reproducing?”  
            “That  _is_  how you continue a species.”  
            “Not only is your  _mate_ ,” Logan spat the word with a glare towards Shilo, “better suited for a rave than motherhood, but you have no guarantee that your little brood wouldn’t inherit  _your_  latent schizophrenia.”  
            Max was sure Alec would blow up—the crack about Ben was a harsh one—but when she risked a glance towards him, he looked almost  _bored_. “You really know nothing about anything transgenic. I wouldn’t have been part of the breeding program back at Manticore if 493’s schizo-ness was genetic. And ‘B’…wait…” Alec looked confused for a second, “yeah, ok, and ‘B’ Shilo wouldn’t go to a  _rave_. Death Metal mosh pit, totally. Even a drum circle at Burning Man. But never a  _rave_.”  
            Shilo put a hand on her mate’s arm, trying not to look exasperated. “I kinda think you missed the point of his insult, sweetie.”  
            “I don’t even understand why you think you have a say.” Max announced, finally stepping into the conversation. For the first time, Logan actually looked abashed. “We get it: you hate Alec. Have ever since you met him—“  
            “To be fair, I was under orders to kill—oof!”  
            “Not helping!” Shilo hissed, while Alec rubbed at his stomach, looking put out.  
            Max shook her head and continued, “ And ok, it wasn’t the best of first impressions, but neither was mine. And you gave me a chance—you won’t even look at what Alec’s done for you, for me, for freakin’ everyone. We’ve been working together for six years and you haven’t seen a single thing he’s done, because he  _has_  to be bad. Then you can rescue me.” She stepped back, closer to her lovers and took both of their hands. “I don’t need rescuing. And honestly, I think they’ll make awesome parents.” She took a deep breath, ignoring Logan’s sputtered attempts at speech. “I want the tapes or I’ll have a team here to take your hard drive. Your access to TC has been restricted.” She rattled off the list that she, Mole and Alec had come up with before even coming to Logan’s. And she was glad of it, Logan had looked completely dumbfounded and would most likely need to be reminded of the rules. Preferably by Mole.  
            Leaving the old house, Max was suddenly pulled into a passionate kiss. Shilo stood on tiptoe, whispering “Thank you” before pressing another kiss to her lips.  
            “For what?” Max was genuinely confused, especially if whatever she had done had earned  _that_  as a thank you.  
            “For saying that you think we’ll be good parents.” Shilo dropped back to her heels, gripping Max’s hand. “Kinda been worried about that ourselves.”  
            “Not like Manticore was a good mommy and daddy.” Alec said, his voice thick.  
            Max stared at the two of them, shocked. “Are you two idiots?”  
            Shilo smacked her arm, “Hey, what did I tell you about insulting people?”  
            “You’re proving my point right now!” Max groaned, “Do you have any idea how ‘mom’ that was?” It had only taken a second for the two of them to process her words, and then Shilo was kissing her again, and Alec was doing that little nervous giggle he had whenever he wasn’t sure exactly what to do.   
            “You have no idea what that means to me, to us.” He had said, taking his turn in kissing her thoroughly. “Damn, I love you.” The words had taken the breath from her lungs, but he didn’t even seem to notice as he grabbed Shilo and scooped her into an embrace.  
            Three fucking words, and she couldn’t think. She bolted—from the way Alec called after her, she knew he had half expected it. But it was that damned  _L_  word, and it made everything so  _complicated_  
  


2

  
  
            Max wasn’t surprised when Alec gave her a weary look as she slunk into the apartment. “You planning on telling me why you vanished for a week?”  
            She sighed, pulling off her boots. “I have a nose too, Alec. Shilo was in heat, and with you two trying for kids—“  
            “That’s not it. Heat lasts a day, two at most. It scared you.” She snapped her gaze back to his surprisingly cat-green eyes. “You seriously have no idea what happens during heat?”  
            “I think I have a pretty good idea.” She snapped, her mind flashing back to that night a little over three years ago, when she had gone into heat and with  _him_.  
            Alec chuckled, obviously remembering that night as well. “Maxie, Maxie, Maxie. You had been going on for nearly two years on how you had never gone into heat around transgenics, and usually booked it from TC the second you realized you were heading for it. Did you honestly think I was just going to let myself lose control? I went  _easy_  on you.” He shrugged, “Didn’t want to scare you.”  
            Max swallowed, allowing his words to sink in, and finding herself still not entirely comfortable with them. “I don’t think I could ever handle that.”  
            Her words seemed to strike him as a physical blow, and he stood, heading towards the kitchen. “Shilo and I have been together for a while, Max. Nearly four years, if you count before mating. That’s a lot of heat cycles.” He sighed, pausing at the doorway. “Heat is something primal, something animal, something that can  _never_  be human. If you’ve got two transgenics who completely understand that—well, heat can be a pretty awesome, if, I guess, disturbing thing.” He looked slightly confused. “I don’t get it, though, was it specifically the fact it was—for lack of better term—doggie style?”  
            “Are you serious?” She couldn’t help it, she started laughing. And Alec only stared at her in mild alarm. “It was the bite marks, Alec.” She said, when she could control her breathing a little better. “You were both bleeding, and…”  
            Alec nodded, comprehension dawning. “More ‘horror flick’ then ‘porno’. I can get that.” He paused again, now leaning against the door frame. “Don’t you go to the dentist?”  
            “Odd question coming from you, but, no. Manticore did teach me dental hygiene.”  
            Alec stepped back into the living room, stepping into Max’s personal space, tugging his upper lip away from his teeth. “It’s kinda hard not to draw blood. The older we get, the more feline traits seem to appear.” He said, when he let his lip fall back into place. “Sharper teeth, spots around our barcodes, some Xs starting to look like elves…” He chuckled. “Animal, Maxie. It’s what we are.”  
            “I’d still appreciate it if you took it easy on me during my next heat.” Max said, initiating a hug that she knew he needed. “Apparently, I’m still on the beginner level; still trying to hard to be…normal.”  
            “I would never hurt you, just like I’d never hurt Shilo. That’s kinda what love is.” He shot her a grin, kissing her gently on the lips. “Besides, I know you’re a prude.”  
            There was that  _L_  word again, but Max chose to ignore it for now, smacking him on the shoulder. “You’re an ass.”  
            He nodded, chuckling. “Yeah, I guess I am. Hey, why don’t you pick out a movie, eh? Shilo should be home soon, and I’ll have dinner done pretty soon.” Max nodded, letting him go back towards the kitchen as she headed towards Alec’s rather impressive collection of second hand dvds. She pondered for a moment, her hand hovering over a title—“Just not  _10 Things I Hate About You_  again. No. Just…no.”  
            And, smirking, Max pulled the dvd out anyway.  
  


3

  
  
            People were starting to talk. And, to be honest, Max was kinda surprised they hadn’t been already. But what really got tongues wagging was the day she had piled her meager possessions into her duffle and informed housing there was a vacant apartment.  
            She knew Alec and Shilo had been trying to work up to the question for weeks, but had always dropped the subject when Max got uncomfortable. And she was. This was a big step. A big  _right_  step.  
            It wasn’t that Max was ashamed of her lovers. No, honestly it was a question of privacy. She always had liked her space, and moving in with two people (and one bedroom) was definitely going to cramp that. But there were other things more important than that. For one, she seriously enjoyed waking up with either Alec or Shilo curled around her. She didn’t sleep much, and they didn’t mind her nightly wanderings. And, honestly, it wasn’t as if her apartment had really been  _home_ , she spent too much time in Command to worry about where she went to shower and change clothes. And when Shilo had asked, looking rather shy—something that Max found ridiculously adorable—Max had known it was right. A good fit. And they were certainly good for her; getting her out of Command and out with the people. One of the buildings near the edge of TC had been converted into a bar, and attracted a surprising number of patrons—transgenic and non. Original Cindy had mentioned the place to her, and she knew Sketchy and Normal even frequented the place, but she had never been there herself. So when Shilo—in a rather scandalized tone—had announced they were having a girl’s night out and going to said bar, Max had been rather excited. Shilo left a note for Alec, and had led the way, dressed in her usual all black.  
            Max had gotten skeptical as soon as she saw the bar’s name ( _X-Change_ …seriously.), but it wasn’t until she was inside that warning bells started going off. Transgenics in general didn’t subscribe to the human standards of sexuality: the only time any of them were truly hetero was during heat. And it was none of them that she was worried about.  
            The humans, however… Despite the tolerant atmosphere, something about  _her_  being _there_  had just crossed some line. Max had wanted to back out right then, but Shilo had grasped her hand, pressing a kiss to the back of it, before heading deeper into the bar and ignoring the human stares. Max had a harder time of it, until Cindy made her presence known.  
            “I’ve been hearing some rumors, Boo.” Cindy had said, after they had settled at a table, beers in hand. Shilo had stepped off, speaking to some X6 who was looking more confused than anything. “And a lot of them have to do with ole’ Hot Boy and that little Goth Girl over there.”  
            Max sighed, feeling a blush creep up her neck. “Well, we’re kinda…together.”  
            Cindy’s eyebrows raised. “All three of ya?”  
            “Yep.” Max wasn’t sure if OC’s eyebrows could go any higher. “What?”  
            “Just shocked as hell how a prude like you ends up with not only the one male I may or may not have changed sides for—“ At that,  _Max’s_  eyebrows raised, but Cindy ignored her, “and one scary Snow White with a  _fine_  ass.”  
            “She does have a fine ass,” Max agreed, eyes travelling over to Shilo, who was leaning over to grab her drink at the bar. “And, well, Logan.”  
            Cindy spit out her drink, spraying Max with the watered down beer. “Oh, I bettah be gettin’ the 411 on this.”  
            Max started to speak, but felt a small hand on her shoulder, and turned slightly in her seat to see Shilo standing there. “Oh, hey. Shilo, this is Original Cindy. Cindy, this is Shilo McDowell.” Shilo set her drink down, extending a hand to Cindy, who took it, smiling.  
            “A pleasure. Max was just telling me how you three got all cozy.”  
            Shilo slipped into the seat next to Max, and took a long sip of her drink. “Well, basically, Wheels’ plan to make Max hate Alec backfired. And he also dabbled in amateur porn.”  
            Max smacked Shilo’s arm. “What she means is he had spy cams set up in their apartment.”  
            Cindy took a long moment, sipping her beer thoughtfully. “You know, I knew Logan was whack, but I never thought he’d take it that far.”  
            “And he showed her footage of me and Alec, knowing full well she had no idea that we were…well, together at all.” Shilo gave a little shrug. “Still doesn’t seem to be taking it well. Had to change our number twice.”  
            “He’s like that.” Cindy acknowledged. “But don’t you transies have that weird mated for _life_  dealio?”  
            Shilo smiled mischievously over her drink, “Yep.”  
            “Are you going to—“  
            “Nope.”  
            Max rolled her eyes, “Shilo.”  
            Shilo grinned at her, and leaned in, pressing a kiss to her lips that tasted like the scotch she had been drinking. “Maxie, I think the particulars of transgenic husbandry aren’t exactly table talk. No offense,” She added looking over at Cindy, “But  _most_  humans…” She trailed off, and Max knew she was referring to their less than warm welcome from half the patrons.  
            “I get ya.” Cindy said, waving a hand airily. “So, you girls gonna dish or what?”  
            About three hours later, Max had found she had enough of the noise. To her surprise, Shilo seemed to have identical feelings. The three of them walked towards the edge of Terminal City, still chatting. “You get home safe.” Max said, hugging Cindy tight when they reached the guarded fences.  
            “I will. And it was good meetin’ you, Snow White.” Cindy said, pulling the small transgenic into a hug. Shilo, for her part, looked only slightly confused at being addressed as such before hugging the woman back.  
            “And you.”  
            “I’ll be seein’ ya’ll soon!” Cindy called, as the gate swung closed behind her.  
            Max and Shilo didn’t hang around—the guards were already giving them the move-it-along-look—but they did take the long way in heading back to the apartment. And Shilo was oddly quiet. “Hey,” Max said, slowing to a stop. “Why are you being so…quiet?”  
            Shilo gave a sad little laugh. “Your friend’s question. The whole mated for life thing.” She looked up at Max, “The answer was, yes, Alec and I are mated for life…”  
            “But.”  
            “But we don’t know about you. I mean, technically, you’re not even  _mated_  to us, at least, not in the traditional sense.” At this, she bit her lip, looking away. “One thing we know is you can’t just mate with anyone you share a compatibility with; there needs to be a real deep emotional connection too. I love you, I know Alec loves you, but I get the feeling you’re still holding back. Which is cool, and all…but we’re kinda getting in deep, here.”  
            “You’re being ridiculous.” Max scoffed, cupping Shilo’s face in her hand. “Both of you think too much.” She kissed her, pouring every bit of passion she could into it and only breaking it when the cat-calls started. Shilo looked rather dazed coming out of it, like she hadn’t expected the kiss at all. “I may not have any idea what’s going on, but I do know it’s going to be with you and Alec.” Shilo grinned, standing on tiptoe to initiate another equally passionate kiss.  
            The next day there were more whispers, but Max really didn’t care.  
  


4

  
  
            Shilo was sitting, looking very nervous, even as Max and Alec exchanged glances over their dinner. She hadn’t touched hers, and was sitting there, fiddling with the ring on her left ring finger. It was one of her nervous tics. And it was particular annoying to Max, as it was accompanied by constant leg movement—fidgeting bothered her. “What’s up?”  
            Shilo started like she had forgotten they were in the room, “What? Oh, nothing.”  
            “Nothing my ass.” Alec said, pushing his plate to the side. “Shilo, you’re practically trembling. What’s wrong?”  
            “That’s the thing, isn’t it? I don’t know if it’s good or bad.” She finally looked up at them, and Max was shocked to see tears in Shilo’s bright blue eyes. “So…I’m pregnant.” And that’s when everything changed.   
            Max felt dizzy, even as Alec was launching himself from his chair, pulling Shilo into an excited hug that she didn’t seem to share. And Max had to ask: “Why don’t you know if it’s good or bad?”  
            “How is it a bad thing? We’re having a baby!” Alec attempted to pick her up again, but Shilo slid out of his grasp. “Ok, both of you look the exact opposite of how you should right now. Happy time.” He did a little jazz-hands thing. “Whoo. Yay…this is not working.”  
            “This is big, Alec. Like, bigger than us.” Shilo turned to Max, looking almost worried. “Are _you_  ready to have this baby with us?”  
            Realization hit Alec like a brick, and he turned to Max. “Oh, Maxie.”  
            Even though her world was still spinning, Max was convinced  _they_  were the confused ones. “Why does it matter if I want a kid or not?”  
            “Because it would be yours too.” Alec said, grasping Shilo’s hand. “I mean, you’re our family—we share a house, a bed—and this would be a wailing, wet, noisy thing that would most certainly have an impact on  _your_  life.”  
            Max sat there, thinking hard and very aware of the nervous looks Shilo and Alec were shooting each other. She had gone into this knowing that it was a hope of theirs, and really hadn’t thought much more about it. And here she was, living with her two favorite people, trying this weird relationship thing, and now a baby. It made the whole thing so much more…permanent.   
            “Max?” It was Shilo, and she sounded as if her world was breaking. “Max, please, say something. It’s still early enough to…to—“ She bit her lip, “We can’t lose you.  _I_  can’t lose you.”  
            Max looked up at the two of them, surprised by Shilo’s plea, but fully expecting Alec’s torn expression. “Why would you even  _think_  about aborting your child?” She strode over to the two of them, taking Shilo’s shoulders in her hands. “You guys have wanted this for _years_.”  
            “But you’d be its mother too, Max. And three of us haven’t completely mated. You could still walk out.” Alec said quietly. “And I honestly don’t know if we want to…well…kids are important, but so are you.”  
            The realization that  _she_  meant that much—that they would consider—all for—“You guys are such idiots!” She couldn’t help it, she burst into tears, pulling both of them into an awkward hug. “I love you both, and I can’t wait to be a mom!”  
            That night, there was much crying and celebration as the three parents-to-be reveled in their good news. The next day, Max, Shilo and Alec made their mating official—not that they needed the confirmation of what they had solidified the night before. But Max still refused to change her name; McDowell was still just…awkward. That was certainly the last time she let Alec name anything.


End file.
